California Advocacy Resources

Nonprofit organizations that engage in public policy advocacy in California may have reporting obligations under California’s Political Reform Act (PRA) and its implementing regulations. Take a look at our resources below to learn more about the PRA and its impact on nonprofit advocacy in California, particularly with respect to ballot measure activity and lobbying of state officials.

Influencing Legislation in California

To effectively influence legislation, it helps to find out the procedures to follow, the relevant people to talk to, and the legislative calendar.

State-level Lobbying Disclosure Resources

Nonprofits that influence state policy in California must be aware of at least two sets of laws: the federal tax laws and regulations that limit lobbying by all 501(c)(3) public charities, and the California laws that require disclosure of certain lobbying activities. Organizations lobbying the California Legislature as well as state-level administrative agencies, boards and commissions may be regulated by the lobbying provisions of the Political Reform Act (referred to here informally as the “California lobbying disclosure rules”).

California lobbying disclosure rules only apply to groups and individuals that meet a relatively high threshold of lobbying activity, and therefore many groups that carry out advocacy work in California will not need to take action to comply with the laws.

The California Secretary of State also allows you to access information about entities that lobby in California, so you can see who is registered to lobby, also through Cal-Access.

City, County, and Special District Lobbying Disclosure Resources

In addition to federal tax law and California state law regarding lobbying activities, certain cities, counties and special districts (including a select number of school districts, airport authorities and transportation authorities) have separate laws regulating lobbying activities. The vast majority of jurisdictions in California do not regulate the interaction between nonprofits and government officials, but you should familiarize yourself with the laws in your jurisdiction.

Ballot Measure Disclosure Resources

Nonprofit organizations active in state or local California ballot measure campaigns must comply both with federal tax law and California ballot measure disclosure rules in the Political Reform Act . Federal tax law permits 501(c)(3) public charities to engage in a limited amount of ballot measure advocacy annually, since the IRS treats ballot measure advocacy as lobbying. Under California’s PRA, however, organizations engaging in certain activities to pass or oppose a ballot measure may need to disclose their expenditures in support of or opposition to the ballot measure, as well as the names of donors whose contributions were used to support the organization’s ballot measure activities. Not all activities in support or opposition to ballot measures will need to be disclosed under state law, so it’s important for nonprofits active in California to learn about the thresholds that trigger reporting, and to know what must be reported.